Gingerbread Fudge Brownies (Vegan Gluten-Free)

Rich, chocolatey and decadent these Gingerbread Fudge Brownies are made with wholesome ingredients. They are easy to make, naturally vegan and gluten-free and packed with gingerbread.

These may just be the cutest brownies I’ve ever made, and perhaps the fudgiest. They took a few attempts to perfect but here they are and they are worth every recipe test. They are rich and indulgent but made with good-for-you ingredients which is a welcome addition to the holiday season. Top these with mini gingerbread cookies for a fun and simple festive twist on the traditional fudge brownie.

Why will I love these brownies?

These brownies are deliciously unique:

• Rich, chocolatey, decadent and indulgent
• Fudgy and sticky and melt-in-your-mouth
• Filled with dark chocolate chips and crystallised ginger
• Topped with gingerbread cookies
• Packed with warming spices and cookie butter
• Easy to make in one bowl with simple ingredients
• Made with wholesome, lower sugar ingredients
• Great to make ahead of time
• Fun to make with little ones this festive season
• A delicious edible gift to impress

If you already know you will love these brownies then skip ahead to the recipe card below. Or, first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.

What ingredients do I need?

The ingredient list is packed with good for you, wholesome ingredients that come together to make the fudgiest and richest brownies:

• Thick coconut yoghurt: the thicker the better when it comes to coconut yoghurt and my favourite is Cocos Organic (similar to CoYo or dairy-free Chobani, if you are in the USA or Australia) which is made with a few simple ingredients and naturally thick and creamy.
• Speculoos cookie butter: this adds moisture, a rich texture and lots of warming speculoos or Biscoff cookie flavour. you can either use Biscoff cookie butter or speculoos spread from KoRo which I love here. Or, use a nut butter like almond, cashew or peanut butter or try tahini or sunflower seed butte rot keep it nut-free.
• Applesauce: for moisture and to help bind the batter. Make sure it’s 100% applesauce and unsweetened. You could also use mashed banana or pumpkin puree here.
• Coconut sugar: for sweetness and I prefer coconut over caster sugar as it has a richer, warmer flavour but golden or regular caster sugar will also work.
• Maple syrup: for stickiness and sweetness. You can also use agave or vegan honey.
• Coconut oil: this helps to keep the brownie batter together, firming it up slightly after the brownies have baked. You can swap this for vegan butter, if you prefer.
• Ground chia or flaxseed: this helps to bind the batter, too, making it really thick and fudgy.
• Plain flour: to keep these light but dense, use plain flour, gluten-free plain flour or try spelt flour, too.

• Chocolate protein powder: for richness, protein and a delicious fudgy texture, I love adding protein powder to make brownies. I love the chocolate hazelnut, rocky road or the deluxe chocolate flavours from Macromike for these brownies (you can save 10% off everything with code AMB-AMY).
• Cocoa powder: to make these rich and chocolatey. I use cocoa as opposed to cacao powder as it has a higher acidity than cacao powder and so reacts better with the bicarbonate of soda, making a better texture.
• Bicarbonate of soda and salt: for rise and flavour.
• Gingerbread spices: to add flavour these brownies use ginger, cinnamon, mixed spice and nutmeg.
• Dark chocolate: either use chocolate chips or chop up a bar of dark chocolate to add inside the brownies.
• Crystallised ginger: these add a lovely surprise inside and are fiery, chewy and sweet. If you prefer, you can leave these out.
• Gingerbread cookies: to add on top of the brownies before they bake, use mini gingerbread shapes (I use my Vegan Gingerbread Cookies).

How do I make these?

This is a one-bowl recipe that is so easy to make:

• Whisk together all the wet ingredients: till combined.
• Sift in the dry ingredients: and whisk to a thick, smooth brownie batter.
• Fold in the chocolate chips and ginger: to combine.
• Spread out into the lined tin: and smooth over the top.
• Add the gingerbread cookies on top: along with some extra chocolate chips.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until firming at the edges but the middle is still slightly wet: this is perfect. You do not want the middle to be cooked through otherwise the brownies will be overbaked and dry.
• Allow to cool for 30 to 60 minutes before slicing: then use a warmed sharp knife to slice.
• Enjoy these brownies slightly warm: or allow to cool fully.

How long will they last?

Once cooled, keep the brownies in a sealed container for 3-5 days or in the fridge for 5-7 days. They are really fudgy so they take a long time to feel dry. You can also freeze them, wrapped well, for up to 1 month and allow to defrost at room temperature.

Are these brownies gluten-free and nut-free?

Yes these are easily gluten-free, just use your favourite gluten-free flour 1:1 blend and to keep them nut-free, use speculoos cookie butter, tahini or sunflower seed butter in the brownie batter. Also check that your yoghurt, protein powder, chocolate and gingerbread do not contain nuts.

I love these, what else can I bake?

If you are feeling festive, how about trying my:

• Vegan Gingerbread Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Best Vegan Chocolate Gingerbread Swiss Roll
• Chocolate Reindeer Cookies
• Vegan Chocolate Rocky Road
• Vegan Stollen Bites

I look forward to hearing what you think of these Gingerbread Fudge Brownies so please let me know in the comments below and leave a star review above. If you do make these, I’d love to see so please tag me, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With gingerbread brownie love x